(a) For plan years on and after January 1, 2021, or 12 months after regulations are adopted under subdivision (f), whichever occurs later, a health care service plan that issues, sells, renews, or offers a contract that covers dental services in this state, in addition to any other applicable disclosure requirements, shall utilize a uniform benefits and coverage disclosure matrix, which shall be developed by the department, in conjunction with the Department of Insurance, and in consultation with stakeholders. At a minimum, the benefits and coverage disclosure matrix shall require the health care service plan to make available all of the following information relating to covered dental services, together with the corresponding copayments or coinsurance and limitations:

(1) The annual overall plan deductible.

(2) The annual benefit limit.

(3) Coverage for the following categories:

(A) Preventive and diagnostic services.

(B) Basic services.

(C) Major services.

(D) Orthodontia services.

(4) Dental plan reimbursement levels and estimated enrollee cost share for services.

(5) Waiting periods.

(6) Examples to illustrate coverage and estimated enrollee costs of commonly used benefits. The examples shall include at least one service from each of the following categories listed in paragraph (3):

(A) Preventive and diagnostic services.

(B) Basic services.

(C) Major services.

(b) All plans, solicitors, and representatives of a plan that issue, sell, renew, or offer a health care plan contract that covers dental services shall, when presenting any plan contract for examination or sale to an individual prospective plan member, make available to the individual a properly completed benefits and coverage disclosure matrix, as prescribed by the director pursuant to this section for each dental plan examined or sold.

(c) In the case of group contracts for dental services, the completed benefits and coverage disclosure matrix and evidence of coverage shall be made available to the contractholder upon delivery of the completed health care service plan agreement.

(d) Group contractholders shall make available the completed benefits and coverage disclosure matrix to all persons eligible to be a subscriber under the group contract at the time those persons are offered the dental plan. If the individual group members are offered a choice of dental plans, separate matrices shall be made available for each dental plan offered. Each group contractholder shall also make available copies of the evidence of coverage to all applicants, upon request, prior to enrollment and to all subscribers enrolled under the group contract.

(e) The health care service plan offering a dental product in the individual, small, or large group market shall make available the benefits and coverage disclosure matrix to all individuals newly enrolling for coverage, experiencing a special enrollment event, and renewing coverage, and shall make available the benefits and coverage disclosure matrix to all other enrollees upon request.

(f) (1) The department shall adopt emergency regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code to implement this section. The department shall consult with the Department of Insurance in adopting the emergency regulations, as appropriate. The adoption of regulations pursuant to this section shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.

(2) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, emergency regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the review and approval of the Office of Administrative Law. The regulations shall become effective immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. The regulations shall not remain in effect more than 120 days unless the adopting agency complies with all of the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) as required by subdivision (c) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.

(g) This section does not apply to Medi-Cal dental managed care contracts authorized under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) and Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 933, Sec. 2. (SB 1008) Effective January 1, 2019.)